


Inferiorities

by Cospaws



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Elijah could use one too honestly, Hurt/Comfort, Leo Manfred needs a hug, M/M, Past Drug Addiction, References to Depression, Self-Hatred, why am I a sucker for those two tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24643204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cospaws/pseuds/Cospaws
Summary: Leo has a breakdown believing he’s not good enough for Elijah.
Relationships: Elijah Kamski/Leo Manfred
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	Inferiorities

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Archadian_Skies for introducing me to this ship, I will now die for it.
> 
> Kuddos if you please, and comments give me life.

Leo Manfred had an interesting life. Not interesting in the sense that you'd want to interview him and know all the details, no, that would be Markus. Leo’s life was interesting because it was riddled with all the worst kinds of plot twists you could imagine. Father left his mom, Mom’s boyfriend is abusive, they move, Mom dies, Dad doesn’t care, drugs cause as much pain as they numb, and a robot gets more love than him. 

It was all too much, until said android gave him the quite literal push he needed to get his shit together. 

Therapy, prescriptions, counciling, withdrawal. He went through the whole nine yards. Even began to build something of a relationship with his father and android brother. Though his life was an interesting shit pile, Leo liked to think it was improving. 

He was now past 90 days clean, had a full time job he actually enjoyed, an apartment of his own, and (someone pinch him) a boyfriend. More than he ever could have hoped for even just last year. He had every reason to be happy.

Which made his down days feel even worse. As if having all these good things made his depression invalid. Like being loved should have just wiped away all his self hate. Leo knew that’s not how it worked. Knew that his mental health was like a roller coaster that could dip for no reason, but logic tended to go out the window during a down spell.

Sometimes it was slow, crept up on him and slowly clouded his head with doubt and numbness. Other times, it hit him like a freight train. Leo had experience with both and had contingency plans on how to cope. 

None of those plans covered what to do in the case of it being 4am in his boyfriend's bed when it hit. 

He took a shuddering breath, glancing at the bedside clock again. What had started out as innocent thoughts as he tried to drift off, eventually pulled him down a familiar rabbit hole. Now he was on the verge of a breakdown after a couple hours of desperately trying to stop himself from unraveling. 

Leo carefully slid out from underneath Elijah’s arm, now being a less than ideal time to wake him lest he see the real mess that was his boyfriend. The plush carpet muffled his steps till he could sit on the couch across from the bed. His breathing shook with the effort of being quiet, tears making his face cold as they dried on his cheeks. 

It would stop soon, he reasoned, it had to. He would tire himself out eventually and he could finally sleep.

What Leo didn’t think to factor in, was Elijah’s sleeping brain somehow knowing Leo was absent, and finding that a reason to wake up. He watched as the man patted and felt around the spot he had previously occupied on the bed, until coming to a conclusion. While Leo’s eyes were adjusted to the dark, Elijah sat up and blinked quiet adorably to better focus. His expression, interestingly enough, was one of disappointment. At least that’s what Leo thought he saw. The flash of surprise and relief at spying him on the couch not helping the butterflies in his stomach or the war in his head. 

“Babe?” Elijah’s voice was rough with sleep, one of Leo’s favorite sounds. He didn’t trust his own voice not to give him away, though silence was just as suspicious. It didn’t help that the beloved questioner was the center of his spiral. A fresh wave of tears threatened to fall.

“What’s wrong?” That did it. A sob escaped his throat, and Elijah’s expression changed once again. This time to worry. He couldn’t stop the man when he got up from the bed and sat beside him, nor could he push him away when a hand came to rub his back soothingly. 

He did however dredge up a memory of his therapist telling him to talk though his feelings, and decided to take a stab at it. 

“Why?”  _ God he sounded pathetic. _

“What?”  _ Well, he’s not running yet. _

“Why do you care about me?” That seemed to throw Elijah for a loop.

“What do you mean sweetheart?”

“That! Just… that. Why do you do that, why do you care, have you met me?”

Elijah’s face showed a collage of confusion, worry, and sadness. Leo wanted to kiss it away, but this particular pit he’d sank in told him he didn’t deserve the right to. 

“I mean look at you, look at this.” He gestured to Elijah and then the room, “You're Elijah fucking Kamski, you could have anything and anyone, but you’re stuck with a garbage excuse for a human being. An ex addict with the social skills of a thimble and horrid looks to boot!” His chuckle held his self deprecating humor. “So come on, what is it? A long con, some bet you made saying you could turn someone around? Some experiment you’re doing where you’ll build me up then tear me down? Maybe, you’re just bored and want a plaything that listens and loves unquestioningly like a puppy.” His breathing hiccuped after getting it all off his chest as he ended with, “Just tell me….. please.” Leo had curled in on himself, just glancing at him through his peripheral. Elijah was having none of it. He took Leo’s face in his hands, gently yet purposefully guiding it to look at him.

It may have been a trick of the near nonexistent light, but Elijah’s eyes seemed extra shiny. “Hey, listen to me Leo. Listen to me right now okay?” He nodded hesitantly. “I am  _ not  _ stuck with you. I chose you just as much as you chose me, and I am grateful everyday because of that.” A stray tear shone on Elijah’s cheek, though Leo hadn’t the courage to wipe it away. “I chose you not for the things you did, but for the person you are. Leo you are amazing. You said it yourself,  _ ex  _ addict. All on your own. Pulled yourself up by your bootstraps and turned your life around. I couldn’t be more proud of you. 

As for all of this,” he rolled his eyes at the room, “you know it’s not me. I’m the grownup introvert tech nerd with a lucky glow up.” That got a genuine grin out of Leo. “If anyone should be surprised they have a boyfriend, it should be me. You think the socially adept facade came easy? Well, you're wrong, just ask Chloe! Actually, please don’t.” Leo huffed out a laugh, drowning out the quieting voice that whispered he meant none of it. Elijah pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, effectively silencing the voice and leaving only content silence. 

“Maybe you are a little broken,” he whispered to Leo, “but God knows I am too. We’ll just have to put each other back together again.”

Leo surged forward to hug Elijah like the world was ending. Buried his face in his neck and clung on tightly through the last of their tears. Didn’t complain when the surprisingly strong man carried him back to bed and tucked them into the soft covers. Let up only slightly to get comfortable and let Elijah run his fingers through his hair, and whispered a most grateful thank you. When he thanked Leo back, he swore his grin wouldn’t leave his face even in sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If you can think of maybe a fluffier fic idea for these two I’m open to ideas. I will try to think of one myself to make up for this feels trip.


End file.
